Four Portuguese citizens detained by Israel after taking part in a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza were released and repatriated on Sunday, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, reported Xinhua.
The group, which included parliamentarian Mariana Mortagua, was repatriated from Israel and expected to arrive in Portugal later Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.
Mortagua, coordinator of the Left Bloc party, along with actress Sofia Aparicio and activists Miguel Duarte and Diogo Chaves, were detained between Wednesday night and Thursday morning when Israeli forces intercepted about 50 vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Portuguese Ambassador to Israel Helena Paiva visited the Ketsiot detention center in southern Israel on Sunday to ensure the repatriation procedures, the ministry said. A Portuguese diplomat is accompanying the citizens on their return journey.
The four Portuguese citizens were among roughly 450 activists of various nationalities taken by Israeli authorities to a detention center in the Negev desert following the naval interception.
The Foreign Ministry said earlier that the detainees "were not subjected to physical violence" but faced "difficult and harsh conditions upon arrival at Ashdod port and at the detention center," where they reportedly spent considerable time without water and food.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, the largest humanitarian mission of its kind to date, aimed to break Israel's blockade and deliver aid to Gaza. On Saturday, more than 3,000 people demonstrated in Lisbon in support of the Palestinian cause and to demand the release of the detained Portuguese citizens.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
